International Moon Day is celebrated every year on July 20th. On this day in 1969, Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon.
The story of human’s journey into space is a fascinating one and we’ve learnt a lot from reading some brilliant non fiction which has introduced us to various historical figures and the roles that they have played in space exploration.
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Balloon to the Moon by Gill Arbuthnott & Chris Nielsen
Balloon to the Moon tells the story of the human journey into space. Starting from the first balloon flight in 1783 it tracks developments in flight and space travel and how they led to men walking on the moon 50 years ago on July 20th 1969.
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The Spacesuit by Alison Donald & Ariel Landy
The Spacesuit takes a fascinating look at the team who designed the very first spacesuit. We’ve watched videos of the moon landing and seen pictures but we’ve never thought about how spacesuits are made or who designed them! It was really interesting to learn about Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Foraker and her team of seamstresses who played an important role in the first moon walk.
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The moon plays a fascinating role in our everyday lives and it’s always interesting to watch it change size and shape. These books introduce the concept of waxing and waning and explain why and how it happens in a fun and child friendly way.
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Goodnight Baby Moon by James Mitchem & Claire Patane
This is a beautiful rhyming board book which introduces the different phases of the moon. A family of rabbits watch the moon over a series of nights and notice that it’s getting smaller. One night the moon has completely disappeared! Slowly the moon returns and the rabbits learn that even though it has disappeared it will always come back again!
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The Great Moon Confusion by Richard Byrne
We love the way that a scientific concept, the waxing and waning of the moon, is explained in such an amusing way. Aldrin thinks he knows everything but he doesn’t know the answer to Rabbit’s question about why ‘the moon isn’t so round tonight’. The two bears, Hubble and Lovell, know why but Aldrin doesn’t want to listen and sets up Moon Rescue HQ to try and find out.
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The moon plays a huge part in many religious festivals around the world. We were really intrigued to learn about its role in Ramadan
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Moon’s Ramadan by Natasha Khan Kazi
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But what happens when the moon has an accident…?!
Mending the Moon by Emma Pearl & Sara Ugolotti
The full moon is so big and heavy that it’s fallen to the ground and smashed into pieces. Can Luna, her grandfather, Poppa and the forest animals find a way to stick the moon back together?
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What will you be reading on International Moon Day?
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